Les Bateman was my next door neighbour from before the war , at Westleigh Avenue, Coulsdon Surrey. He and his brother Fred went to Alleyns College and Les was commissioned in his late teens , I remember when he returned in 1945- 46 we were invited to go next door to view his trophies, which included several pistols and cameras. H e gave my father a Beretta pistol and gave me a camera. I was 16 yrs at this time and Les was my hero. He told us several stories, about being ambushed in the forest and about being the first group to enter Belsen camp. We moved home after the war and lost touch. but I believe he took a course in Works Management. James Wallace
